Areas of Sociology

Seven Areas of Sociology

The term “sociology” was coined by August Comte in the nineteenth century from the Latin word “socios” (companion with others) and the Greek word “logos” (reason) to describe the new science of social life.

While sociology has changed a lot since Comte's day, it is still an important discipline that helps us understand the world we live and how we live in it. Currently, there are seven major areas of sociology. This article will briefly discuss these areas and why sociologists are interested in them.

1. Social Organization

Source

Social organization refers to a pattern of relationships between and among different groups and individual people. Social organization could be said to the fundamental basis of modern society, as it allows for the carrying out of very complex activities that other members of society either participate in or are affected by.

Identifying and classifying different groupings of people is a crucial job for sociologists. Typically, sociologists define a group as consisting of at least two members who:

interact with each other,

have a sense of identity or belonging,

share norms or expectations that those outside the group do not.

While the larger society of a particular nation is itself an example of social organization, that society is in turn made up of a collection of organized groups of interacting individuals. It is precisely how those groups interact and organize that sociologists study.

Typically, when sociologists discuss social organizations, they are referring to:

Social institutions, such as the family or school.

Social groups, such as professional associations, or voluntary organizations like the Kiwanis Club or neighborhood associations.

Social inequality, which groups people according to class, such as the middle-class, working class, underclass, upper class, etc.

Religious groups, such as churches and affiliated charities.

Bureaucracies, including government agencies administrative units.

2. Sociological Social Psychology

Source

Sociological social psychology emphasizes the relationship between individual people and the larger social structures and processes in which they participate. While the study of social organization and structure is the defining core of sociology, all social structure comes out of interactions between individuals. So, to understand the significance, nature, and effects of social structure, we need to understand the the people whose behavior constitutes that structure.

Major areas of study include deviance, socialization, group dynamics, health, race and ethnicity, and gender. Sociologists in this field have studied some really interesting subjects, such as obedience and disobedience during the Holocaust, the psychological consequences of work and family life, and the attitudes of minority groups to the cultural mainstream.

3. Social Change

Source

Sociologists are interested in studying both “what is” and “what changes.” In this sense, social change refers to any alteration in how a society is organized. Sociologists thus seek to explain the causes and affects of these social changes.

Some theories of social change emphasize evolutionary explanations. These theories hold that society develops from simple to increasingly complex forms of organization. Social change, then, is linear and progressive.

Sociologists typically identify a few key factors that influence social change:

The physical environment. Changes in the environment, such as climate change, may require different forms of social organization in order for humans to survive. Very rapid changes in the physical environment can cause severe disruptions to social and cultural life.

Population changes. Migrations and conquest bring new people into new places, which in turn can lead to forms of social change.

Isolation and contact. Societies that are cut off from the larger world may change very quickly once they come into contact with outside cultures and peoples.

Technology. Advances in technology, such as the car or airplane, can dramatically change social organization as these new technologies offer new ways for people to interact.

Major topics of study for this field include: ecological changes, population, migration, technological change, new production techniques, culture change, political processes, social transformation, modernization, mass communication, and the impact of natural disaster.

4. Human Ecology

Source

This is the study of the nature and behavior of a given population and its interaction with the surrounding environment. Specifically, it focuses on how social structures adapt to the quality and quantity of natural resources and to the existence of other human groups

Studies of this kind have shown the prevalence of mental illness, criminality, delinquency, prostitution, and drug addiction in urban centers and other modern, developed locales.

5. Population and Demographics

This area of study is concerned with the study of population number, composition, change, and quality and how these factors influence the larger economic, social, and political systems.

This area also focuses on things such as fertility and mortality rates, the impact of migration on the distribution of certain populations. Examples of topics that sociologists in this field study include trends in population growth and how those trends are affected by fertility, mortality, and migration rates, how population is distributed over a particular area (for example, segregation), poverty and inequality.

6. Applied Sociology

Source

This field is concerned with using sociological problems to solve social problems. For instance, some of the main social problems where I live include squatters, prostitution, too-large families, nurse shortages, and poor nutrition. An applied sociologist would bring his or her knowledge to bear on how to solve these problems.

Let's take a look and see what that might look like:

Squatters

Squatters are usually newcomers to urban areas who live on land or in buildings that don't belong to them. An applied sociologist would wonder why squatters came to the city in the first place. The research variables to analyze would include the squatters' background, their employment and educational history, their occupation and sources of income.

The sociologist might discover that squatters migrate to the city to find gainful employment but can't find a job that suits their educational qualifications. They are usually farmers, fishermen, laborers on unskilled workers. Lack of income is the primary reason squatters can't afford to buy their own house and land.

Prostitution

An applied sociologist might learn that prostitution and squatting have many of the same causes. Usually, squatter areas are breeding grounds for prostitution, drug abuse, and illegal gambling. The research variables may still focus on low income and unemployment.

Migration of Nurses

Why might nurses prefer to work in other countries? Likely because of the high salary that nurses can earn in the US, Europe, and Canada. Compared to a staff nurse in a government hospital, nurses working abroad can make 10 times as much.

The research variables to study the migration of nurses include salary, overtime pay, the exchange rate, and the country that they want to work.

Poor Nutrition

Since children are typically the ones most affected by poor nutrition, the research variables for this social problem would include: the family income, food intake, and family employment. Low income and unemployment is usually the cause of poor nutrition.

7. Sociological Methods & Research

Source

This field is concerned with the applicability of sociological principles and insights to study and regulate peoples' social environment. It represents an effort to build and develop theories that can explain people's actions and behaviors.

Questions & Answers

Questions must be on-topic, written with proper grammar usage, and understandable to a wide audience.

Comments

No HTML is allowed in comments, but URLs will be hyperlinked. Comments are not for promoting your articles or other sites.

sending

eloyda sukarap yuvii

15 months ago

its help me to looks how socoilogy important in the economy,

Nam Eam Bahian

20 months ago

Thank you for this research.. For me was a big help to us.. Hope more reseach and knowlegde you share... God bless..

No

20 months ago

"Low income and unemployment is usually the cause of poor nutrition."

Problem 1. Assumed causality

Problem 2. Rich and middle class people are also super fat

Dan Olekima

23 months ago

An amazing and informative work. Kudos sir Christopher Bueno.

skyen

2 years ago

Nice

jay

2 years ago

tanx :)

krisbert

2 years ago

cool that can help me

dess

3 years ago

thank for ur help

Jasonelmy

3 years ago

There are no such thing called 7 areas of sociology! Sociology is broad realm and it covers every known field that we know today. If the question would be how many sociological perspectives then the answer would be much easier and short. Three main sociological perspectives!

Jewell

3 years ago

Thanks a lot!

shi

3 years ago

Thank you.it helps a lot!

choleen

3 years ago

my prof ask 8

baran

3 years ago

Good

Christine May Tupaz Barlas

3 years ago

Thank you forfor the info:)

bryan

3 years ago

Thank you

ella

3 years ago

thanks

petlord

3 years ago

thanks for the helpw

eden

4 years ago

thank you.

rolaando e. medel of the university of san agustin, iloilo, philippines.

4 years ago

thanks for the help...u are great!

killer eye

5 years ago

that's all?

karla

5 years ago

where's the 7th?

amor_gallego@yahoo.com

5 years ago

Yes right..this is the most important to learn any problem in your family and most of them in our society..

leepinky

6 years ago

thanks for the information.O:)

AUTHOR

Christopher Fuster Bueno,Ph.D.

7 years agofrom Graduate School, University of Northern Philippines, UNESCO Heritage City of Vigan

Clarisse Urbano identified at least seven areas in sociology as human ecology.This is presented in WIKIPEDIA unknown reader would like to know the sources with comment :"Are your references and sources? WIKIPEDIA is not a good source, 'cause anyone could edit it and make false facts." Find out the discussion is originally discuss the areas of sociology relevant to the nursing profession

AUTHOR

Christopher Fuster Bueno,Ph.D.

7 years agofrom Graduate School, University of Northern Philippines, UNESCO Heritage City of Vigan

Oh yes, in WIKIPEDIA the other area not being mentioned here is human ecology."Human ecology deals with the nature and behavior of a given population and its relationships to the group's present social institutions. For instance, studies of this kind have shown the prevalence of mental illness, criminality, delinquencies, prostitution, and drug addiction in urban centers and other highly developed places." Find out in the other areas the explanation is there.

clarisse urbano

7 years ago

why is it only is? if i know the areas of sociology are 7... why there is no human ecology here?

bien

7 years ago

great

Grace Marguerite Williams

7 years agofrom the Greatest City In The World-New York City, New York

This is an excellent hub. There are so many ills in society which need to be corrected and eliminated. You have made great hypothesis and theories and suggested methodologies to correct them.

Connect with us

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, owlcation.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

This is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)

Google AdSense Host API

This service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)

This is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)

Facebook Login

You can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)

Maven

This supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)

We may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.

Conversion Tracking Pixels

We may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.

Statistics

Author Google Analytics

This is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)

Comscore

ComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)

Amazon Tracking Pixel

Some articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)